Jeff Flake: Dems Didn't Fear Government Shutdown Because GOP 'Would Take The Blame'

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) reinforced his belief on Tuesday that it was a poor idea for a government shutdown to be used against Obamacare.

In an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Flake lamented the reality that it had come to this, voicing his hope that the shutdown would not last long. When asked why he didn't agree with the strategy, the first-term senator explained the "fear" factor.

"If you're going to take a stand on something, the other side has to fear a shutdown," Flake said. "In this case, I think the Democrats knew that if there were to be a shutdown, that it would be Republicans who take the blame. And so you're threatening to do something that the other side isn't very fearful of."

Back in late August, Flake was targeted in an ad accusing him of refusing to stand up on defunding Obamacare. The senator dismissed the calls in epic fashion on Twitter.

While Flake disagreed with the idea of shutting down the government, he added in the "Morning Joe" interview that he doesn't see Obamacare as bringing cheaper health coverage.

"I think that it may be cheaper for some people, but that just means a massive government subsidy on the other side that it can't afford," Flake said. "So, no, I just don't think the structure is there to make it work. You've got to control costs somehow, and there's nothing in the law that actually controls cost."